Elsewhere
by CrzA
Summary: He can't take it anymore, he can't handle all this pain, all this suffering. Not when he's had a taste of what it feels like to be… happy. Not when he's learned what friends are and how much they help. Not when there's someone out there who makes him feel like more than just a weapon, a possession. He can't stay in this cold and dark place where everything around him burns.
1. Elsewhere

_It burns… Oh god it burns…_ He should be used to it by now, he should be immune to this pain. But it hurts, it hurts so badly. It's inside him, every muscle, every bone, every fibre of his being, this pain so horrible, constant, just another part of him. But today it's worse. It's so much worse. Maybe it's because the hero had a bad day, maybe it's because _he's_ not up to par, whatever it is, he hates it.

It shouldn't be like this. Things are better elsewhere, he never thought they could be better, but they are. And now it hurts so much more, it burns so much hotter, it claws at him without mercy. It's not right. This isn't how things are supposed to be, no matter how many times he tells him they are. He's not supposed to feel this way, like everything around him is fire and everything inside him burns, like there's no safety, no happiness, only misery and agony. _It's training, just training, it's supposed to make me stronger._ But that's a lie he tells him, it's a lie he tells himself, because that's not how you're supposed to gain strength. No matter how many times he says it is, there's others who are strong and don't go through this. He's seen it, he's felt it. So why? Why him? Why does it have to be this way?

It burns yet he also feels cold, left alone, bruised and bleeding, curled in on himself with everything aching down to his very core. While the fires around him burn, while his insides burn just as badly as the outside, it's like his own fire dies a little each time. His heart freezing as his body burns, his spirit dying as his nerves come alive with _pain, so much pain_. He trembles as his blood runs as cold inside his veins and pools by the corner of his mouth, a cough sending it splattering across the floor. His eyes flit towards the door, seeing no one there, no ice-cold eyes staring back disapprovingly, no crossed arms and disappointed scowl. But there are no warm welcomes either, no concerned expressions, no nice words and comfort, no one to help him, no one to care for him. No one to love him. Those people are far away. Those people are elsewhere. Things are better elsewhere… With someone else… It doesn't have to be this way… _Does it?_

He can't take it anymore, he can't handle all this pain, all this suffering. Not when he's had a taste of what it feels like to be… happy. Not when he's learned what friends are and how much they help. Not when there's someone out there who makes him feel like more than just a weapon, a possession. He can't stay in this cold and dark place where everything around him burns. Is… Is that so wrong?

He pushes himself up to his feet, feeling his leg screaming and his throat scratching, his jaw aching and his ribs complaining and on the brink of splintering. But he walks away, because he wants nothing more than to be elsewhere. Somewhere that isn't here, with _him_. Somewhere where someone cares.

* * *

Izuku is in his room back home for the holidays while his mother is out for work when there's a weak knock at his door. The distance alone would've been enough for him not to hear it, but he's got his headphones in at max volume, his favourite playlist muffling any outside noises as he scrolls through the latest hero news on his phone. He almost jumps out of his skin when it vibrates in his hands, the notification sound loud and jarring, blaring past the music and nearly making him drop the phone on his face. Luckily, he catches it before it happens, surprised to see a little pop-up with Todoroki's name.

Sitting up on his bed, he taps it, opening the text message.

 **[Todoroki Shouto 14:07]**

 _Are you home?_

Izuku blinks at the screen, slipping the headphones off of his head so they hang around his neck before glancing in the direction of his house's front door in mild curiosity.

 **[Midoriya Izuku 14:08]**

 _Yeh y?_

 **[Todoroki Shouto 14:08]**

 _Could you open the door? Please._

The response is nearly instant, almost as if the other was simply waiting for him to reply to send it, already written out and ready to hit the button. He couldn't explain it if he wanted to, but there's a sickening feeling in his chest as soon as he reads the words, that little plea at the end sending his heart into a frenzy in his chest. And it's not the same fluttery feeling he sometimes gets around Todoroki, no, this is different… This is… bad.

He shoots off the bed, running out of his room and to the door, swinging it open and expecting to see… Well, he's not sure what he was expecting, but when he sees Todoroki's hunched figure, leaning against the wall with a black hood pulled over his head and obscuring his features, his whole posture reads tired but other than that he seems fine. Izuku lets out a sigh of relief at the lack of an immediate disaster but that feeling is short lived because as soon as Todoroki turns to face him his legs give in and he collapses into his arms.

"Todoroki-kun!" He yelps, alarmed, arms snaking around his friends' torso and holding him up.

A groan sounds from Todoroki as he seemingly gathers his bearings and lifts himself back up, wobbling slightly. When Izuku looks into his eyes, his heart sinks, emerald greens widening as he takes in Todoroki's state. There are multiple tiny lacerations all across his face, a torn upper lip, a gash on his right eyebrow, that eye being slightly swollen as well. A large bruise is sprouting under his chin, turning purple already, and his left leg is visibly shaking. Izuku can only imagine what the hell else is going on under his clothes but he doesn't _want to_.

Immediately he's stepping closer, holding Todoroki's shoulders and feeling his stomach flip at the way he winces when he does. "What happened?! Was it a villain? Are they still out there?" Izuku's interrupted by Todoroki coughing into his hand. When it comes back spattered in red, he feels his own blood boil. "Oh my god, we need to get you to a hospital! Call the heroes to handle the situation!"

Suddenly, Todoroki stiffens at those words, curling in on himself from what Izuku can only assume to be pain as he heaves, leaning against the door frame for support and a small whimper leaving his lips. "No… please… not-" Another wracking cough tears through him and Izuku gently places a hand on the small of his back, expression twisting into one of horror seeing the blood dripping down his chin. "Not the hospital. H-he'll find me… I c-can't take it anymore… Please…"

Everything clicks into place inside Izuku's head and he doesn't think he's ever felt this angry. Rage and hatred was something he associated with Bakugou, not with himself, but now it burned inside him deeply, making his fists clench around the fabric of Todoroki's hoodie. "Endeavor did this to you?" He should be afraid of how cold his voice sounds in contrast to that fiery ire, how full of venom and contempt, but all he feels is justified.

"Please I just… I need to get away… I'm pathetic." Izuku's throat tightens at the self-deprecating tone in which he utters the last part, tears springing to his eyes that he fights back because now is not the time to cry. Todoroki needs him.

"You're not pathetic, Todoroki-kun. You don't deserve this. Come on, let's get you taken care of."

Ushering him in, a hand rubbing soft circles on his back while the other holds the arm he's slung over his shoulders, Izuku goes straight for the bathroom, setting him down on a bench gently. Todoroki lets his head fall back against the wall after pulling down the hood. He's got this apathetic look to him, like he's willing himself not to feel anything at all because if he doesn't, he might break down. Izuku watches him out of the corner of his eye while getting the first aid kit from the cabinet under the sink, digging in for some antiseptic and sterile gauze.

As if he's gone to a little world of his own, Todoroki doesn't seem to notice him getting closer, flinching away at the movement and panic flashing in his mismatched eyes before they focus on his worried expression and he forces himself to relax. He hisses when Izuku starts dabbing at his wounds gently to clean them, inhaling sharply and holding that breath for as long as he tends to the cuts until he stops to give him a break. Izuku tries to be as careful as possible, tries not to inflict any more pain than necessary but the flesh is tender and raw and any little disturbance seems to be enough to make Todoroki tense. But he never makes any sounds apart from barely audible whimpers and small gasps. He never complains, never asks him to stop, never says it's too much, even as he presses down to secure the band aids wherever they are necessary. At one point, he squeezes his eyes shut and stays that way, jaw clenched as Izuku gingerly inspects the bruises before dropping his hands to his sides.

"That should be enough…" Izuku whispers, almost afraid that if he speaks any louder he might frighten his friend. Just as Todoroki is thanking him, his eyes drift down to his torso and leg, then lifting his gaze back up to his face. "You're gonna have to show me the rest."

Todoroki visibly shrinks, looking away with shame written all over his face and Izuku's heart aches. "I'm fine." Stubborn as always, Todoroki wraps his arms around himself, trying to hide what's already hidden. He coughs into his hand once more and glares at the little drops of scarlet that are left behind accusingly, as if they are there just to spite him.

"You're not fine. You're coughing up blood, Todoroki-kun. This could be serious, what if you have a fractured rib, and your lungs are-" He's cut off by Todoroki's repeated reassurance, as ineffective as it may be, and he sighs, aiming an unwavering glance at him. Any other time, Todoroki would win this kind of battle, but when Izuku _knows_ there are serious injuries under those clothes that need to be treated, there is no way he would ever back down. "You need to at least let me treat you. Come on, I've got experience with these kinds of injuries."

"Bakugou?" Izuku just chuckles humourlessly at his own transparency while nodding in response before gesturing towards him in a not so subtle way of saying 'Go on, show me'.

With a dejected little breath, Todoroki pulls down the zipper of his hoodie. That alone is enough to draw a gasp from Izuku. His forearms are covered in roundish red marks the size of a large fist, likely from blocking blows from flaming hands over and over again. Even the left one, which should be more resistant to Endeavor's Hell Flame due to Todoroki's own use of fire, has some pretty aggressive burns. The half and half teen looks small as he pulls the t-shirt off over his head.

More inflamed blotches of skin cover his torso, one particular burn on his right side just over his hip actually covered in blisters. There's purpling blemishes all over his ribs and some even peeking from his back, spreading to his sides just enough for him to see, overlapping with older ones over several faint scars from years and years of similar episodes. Ones that could be easily missed if he didn't look closely enough. Izuku follows with horrified eyes as Todoroki pulls up his left pant leg, revealing a flowering bruise that sprouts from the side of his knee and blisters in the middle. He feels sick, absolutely revolted, a lump forming in his throat and tears pricking at his eyes once more.

"Todoroki-kun…" His voice sounds strangled, as if the hatred gripping his heart is choking him, making it hard to breathe and even more so to speak.

"It's not always this bad…"

"Are you seriously excusing his actions right now?" The words leave him before he has the time to even process them and Izuku immediately regrets it when Todoroki flinches at them, guilt taking over his features. "Sorry, that was harsh of me… It's just…" He doesn't know how to put to words what he feels then, his hands shaking nearly imperceptibly but enough for both of them to notice.

"I'm sorry…" Todoroki mutters, head lowering in shame and before Izuku can think twice, he's holding his face in his hands, gently turning it so that their eyes meet, careful as not to hurt him.

"What are you apologising for?"

Todoroki averts his gaze, inhaling sharply in a way Izuku is much too familiar with. "Being like this…" Izuku can just about hear the _pathetic_ or _weak_ that doesn't actually leave his lips. He knows this behaviour, he knows this train of thought all too well.

"There's nothing wrong with you." Izuku assures him, steadfast. "Well, apart from the fact that you're in pain, but I'll take good care of you, I promise." He moves back to the first aid kit and gets some burn cream, getting back to work under the watchful eye of his friend, following his every move and trying his hardest not to wince away from his tender handiwork. "It's okay to cry, by the way. I remember you telling me that once before."

Shooting him a quick and easy smile from where he's kneeling by his feet, Izuku sees the way Todoroki's eyes glisten before he looks the other way, focusing on some point by the other side of the room. There's already a few tracks on his cheeks and Izuku fights back the tears that make his own eyes sting. He hears the faint sniffles coming from his friend and keeps working on dressing the wounds, fingers brushing the skin lightly and wishing with all his might that he could take away all the pain with his touch alone.

"Why haven't you tried putting a stop to it?" Izuku finds himself asking, not entirely having planned to actually voice the question but not stopping it either. Given what he went through as a kid, he knows it's a stupid thing to ask but he wants to know anyway.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Tell the police?"

"Who do you think they're going to believe? A rebellious teenager or the number 1 hero?" The rhetorical question hurts just as much as the fact that he's right. Izuku wants to punch something Endeavor shaped so badly…

"It's not fair…" He seethes, Todoroki hissing when he rubs the cream a little too hard on one of the burns on his arm and Izuku recoils with an apology at his lips. He returns to careful little dabs, breathing deeply to calm the rage boiling inside him. "He doesn't deserve that title."

"I know… I'm sorry for being a burden. I shouldn't be springing this onto you, it's my business, not yours." Izuku finally looks up at that, meeting red rimmed eyes and an expression that doesn't belong on his friend's face.

"Stop apologising, none of this is your fault. And you're not a burden either," Izuku pauses for a breath as he feels the tears sneaking up on him without his permission. "I'm always here for you, no matter what. Whatever you need, whenever you need, I'm here."

Todoroki's arm leaves his grip when he brings it up to his face, covering his eyes and clenching his jaw tightly. Izuku squeezes his thigh lightly, a soft but reassuring gesture to reinforce his words. He wants to hold Todoroki in his arms more than anything else in the world, tell him that he'll protect him as best he can, but he's sure that would be crossing a line even if it wasn't most likely painful for him as well. He's especially reminded of that last fact when Todoroki breaks into another bloody cough and Izuku's brows pull together in concern.

"About that…"

"It's fine… It's my jaw that's bleeding. And the hits to my ribs just made it a little hard to breathe, that's all." At this, Izuku gets a glassful of water and hands it to Todoroki, who swirls some of it in his mouth before spitting it out into the sink, tinting the porcelain in varying shades of crimson.

They fall into a heavy silence as Izuku keeps tending to Todoroki's injuries, not exactly uncomfortable, but not like they are used to when hanging out together either. There's this thick tension in the air that could easily be cut with a knife, each of them stirring in their own emotions, none of them pleasant.

"Am I winning the worst injuries contest yet?" Todoroki is the first to break the silence and Izuku glares up at him.

"Don't joke about that."

"You're right, at least mine aren't self-inflicted."

"Oh, shut up." Izuku shoots back, but the corners of his mouth twitch upwards for a moment. "Dark humour, huh? For some reason I took you for more of a dry humour type of person."

Todoroki shrugs, a little huff that for him passes off as a laugh as Izuku starts wrapping the last of his right arm. He moves on to his leg then, taking a deep breath at the sight and wincing when Todoroki grunts as soon as he touches the cream to the burn. When he looks up, Izuku sees his features scrunched and he wonders if that hurts his jaw even worse. He'll have to bear it for a little longer though… God, he _really_ wishes there was something else he could do. He _really_ wants to teach a certain someone a lesson. No one who does something this horrible should ever be considered the number 1 hero. They're supposed to protect everyone, their families included. They're not supposed to beat their children senseless on the pretext of 'making them stronger'. What kind of bullshit even is that?!

"You're asking me." Todoroki chokes out and Izuku realises with a start that he was muttering and covers his mouth with an apology, eyes widening as he thinks of what he was apparently just saying. "Don't apologise."

"Like you're one to talk." Izuku finally finishes wrapping up his leg and stands up, brushing Todoroki's cheeks with the tips of his fingers ever so softly. He doesn't ignore the way his heart stutters with a desire that he still hasn't been able to make sense of but knows for sure isn't purely platonic. "Open your mouth, please." He requests instead, pulling his jaw down just enough to see the damage. "You're missing a molar."

"Nothing I can't live without." The way Todoroki's lips close around his thumbs as he speaks makes Izuku's breath catch and he removes his hands immediately, stuttering out an agreement and getting painkillers for his friend.

"So…" Izuku shifts from one foot to another while the other swallows the pills and eyes him from below. "What now?" Todoroki looks away, his hairs falling over his eyes in a mishmash of red and white, concealing his features in an attempt to hide his shame. Izuku can already tell that he's regretting coming here at all, and feels the need to reiterate his words and make him more at ease. "I mean, it's just that I wasn't expecting you so I don't really have anything ready. And honestly, I'm still really worried about you and think that you should get checked out by some sort of doctor 'cause let's be honest, I'm not exactly qualified. And what if any of your wounds fester, what am I supposed to do about _that_? Could I at least call Recovery Girl? I've got her on speed dial ever since I got my provisional license, you know, just in case. So yeah, that wouldn't be a terrible idea. Actually, I'll do it anyway."

He's started digging in his pocket for his phone when he remembers that he left it on his bed and Todoroki's hands are already holding his wrists in place to prevent him from doing anything. Izuku looks at him with wide and shimmering eyes, the tears that he'd managed to keep away until now finally building up halfway through his rant and on the verge of spilling over.

"I'm fine." Todoroki whispers quietly.

"You're not." Izuku's strangled voice retorts and Todoroki looks down at his feet once again. "It's okay not to be fine, but I just… I wish I could help."

"You do help, Midoriya. That's why I came here, even though I know I shouldn't."

"Why not?" He finds himself asking, high-pitched, almost desperate. "I meant what I said, you know? I wasn't just s-saying…" Izuku drifts off, broken by a hiccup that he hides with his hands before turning his back to Todoroki. "S-sorry I'm…" _It hurts to see you like this. It hurts to not be able to do anything._

Izuku feels the trace of fingertips against the back of his neck and he looks back to see Todoroki is standing with his hoodie over his bandaged shoulders, his weight almost entirely resting on his right leg as he reaches out shyly towards him. He turns to face him fully, swallowing around the lump that's formed in his throat and wiping at his reddening cheeks just as Todoroki begins to speak.

"I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't." Izuku cuts him off before he even has the chance to finish his thought, and gingerly holds the hand that's still hovering in between them in his own. "It's not your fault. None of it is."

He can see the doubt in Todoroki just as much as he can sense it radiating off of him. He knows how hard it is to believe these words, he knows how much they seem like white lies meant to appease him when he himself still has a hard time believing them sometimes. Each time he fails, each time he doesn't meet the expectations or goals of others, or even those he set for himself. Each time someone gets hurt when he was supposed to help them, each time he's alone in his room on late nights and thoughts from the past come back to haunt him. Inadequate, useless, bothersome. Weak, powerless, defenceless.

Izuku shakes the thoughts away as they creep up on him, reflected back in his friend's face and reminding him of how desperate he felt in those days, how much he thought all of it was his own fault for being born quirkless, that he deserved it.

"Are you okay?" Todoroki asks, concerned to see the ghosts that Izuku has tried his best to bury flashing across his eyes. "If you'd like me to leave…"

"No!" His voice comes out a little too high and a little too quickly, and Izuku bites his bottom lip sheepishly. "Please…" He feels the tiniest bit ashamed, that he should be strong right now, comforting Todoroki, but instead he's on the very edge of crashing headfirst into a whirlwind of anxiety and guilt that he's worked so hard to get over. Squeezing Todoroki's fingers in his own, he sighs heavily, a shaky and pathetic little breath. "Please stay."

"Okay." The answer is quiet and almost shy, the reassuring hold he returns calming his broken breaths just enough for him to manage a shaky smile.

Izuku notices Todoroki's stance wobbling and moves to support him, walking them both back to his room where they both sit on the edge of his bed. They make idle small-talk over the background noise of his TV until Todoroki's eyes are spending more time closed than open and Izuku offers to let him rest for a while. Despite many complaints that he doesn't need it, Izuku doesn't stop his incessant demands that he does so anyway, and before long Todoroki sighs in defeat.

"I really don't want to impose. Any more than I already have, anyway…" He stifles a yawn at the end of that sentence and Izuku has a hard time not finding it cute. Especially as his body is already tilting sideways as if his head is being magnetically pulled towards Izuku's pillow.

"I insist. Tell me if you need anything." Todoroki hums, already halfway towards dreamland as he pulls his legs over the bed and curls up on his side.

As soon as Todoroki's breaths steady to indicate he's fast asleep, Izuku's eyes dart towards the door and he considers actually going after Endeavor to give him a piece of his mind. Instead, he sits at his desk and plugs his headphones into the desktop before clicking away at his social media networks. As much as he wants to have a heated argument with the hero using his fully charged fists, there's someone here who needs him more than that burning desire for justice.

Which isn't to say he's going to stop thinking about it any time soon.

 **NOTE: Just a little idea I had, it might eventually maybe have a small sequel but as for now it stays as a one-shot. We'll see :D Hope you enjoyed, thank you for reading and feel free to leave any feedback you might have ^-^**


	2. Right Here

The walls are closing in around him, and he's not sure if it's the way his breaths are short that is making the room spin or if it's the towering figure looming threateningly above him. He's lying on the cold floorboards, hunched in on himself, hurting all over, body trembling violently in equal parts chilling cold, blinding rage and paralysing fear. Because when he looks up he sees nothing but fire, nothing but fury, disappointment and disgust, all burning bright red all around. But that's not even the worst part.

"T-Todoroki-kun…" The choked words grip his heart tighter than the hands around Midoriya's neck, holding him high above the ground and leaving his feet dangling without purchase. "H-help…"

He sees his hands clawing at the huge one cutting his air supply and knows that he should do something, stop him, make him let go. But as soon as he gets his body to move, another large hand strikes his face painfully, stirring the injury on his jaw and shooting blood out of his mouth onto the floor. The room warps further, darkness closing in and suffocating him just as hard as Midoriya. It feels like the whole world shakes with the one step _he_ takes towards his curled-up form.

 _"_ _You dare disrespect me like this? My own creation?"_ The voice is one he's used to, but crooked in a way, rumbling and deep, thundering all around him and reverberating inside his very core, making him cower further with dread seeping deep into his bones. It's a deep-set fear ingrained into every fibre of his being, keeping him complacent, enduring the horrors so that he doesn't have to find out what could possibly be worse. Yet it seems as if he's about to learn that lesson anyway, whether he likes it or not. _"This weakling couldn't even defeat you. What on earth made you think he could_ protect _you?"_

"Todoroki-kun…" Midoriya calls for him once more, despair evident, almost an exact replica of one fateful night in Hosu, where death was knocking at their doors with an invitation they were only so lucky to refuse. "Please…" His voice breaks off with a choke and he thinks he hears knuckles crack with the force. It breaks him deep inside, making his chest ache impossibly, knocking the breath right out of his lungs painfully. _It's my fault this is happening. I should've never run, I shouldn't have come to him._ He wants nothing more than to stop everything, to make it cease once and for all, the pain, the fear, the danger, all of it.

Somehow, he gains the courage to look back and sees the plea in Midoriya's purpling face, his eyes dulling with each second that passes with him struggling to leave the death grip around his throat. He forces himself to speak up, to try and ease the situation, _if only he's okay…_ "Please, this is all my fault. Do with me as you wish, just please don't hurt him, I beg of you…"

His own voice is strained, sounding foreign to his ears as he bows his head down to the bloodstained floor and feels a foot on the back of his neck, keeping him there. _"I will do with you as I wish no matter what you say, Shouto. You must be punished for insubordination. And it seems that the worst form of punishment to you is to get rid of_ him _."_

"Todo-" Midoriya's voice is cut off by a loud crack and followed by a dull thud. His body shakes uncontrollably as his eyes move towards the sound and are met with lifeless green ones, staring back at him unseeingly, the neck bent at an unnatural angle. And he screams.

* * *

"Midoriya!" Shouto jumps up with a shout and a whine of pain from jostling all his wounds with the sudden movement, feeling the soft fabric of his hoodie sliding off of his shoulders. But all of that pain is quickly forgotten because his chest hurts so much worse. He's broken by a violent sob and the tears follow soon after, breaths uneven and ragged with tiny whimpers punctuating each one. He holds onto his head, eyes wide with horror as salty tracks are burnt into the skin of his face and he starts rocking back and forth, images flashing before him and the cracking playing on repeat loud in the dark corners of his mind.

Shouto squeezes his eyes shut tightly, shaking his head furiously to try and get the pictures away, but it seems that they're tattooed into the back of his eyelids. In the darkness behind them he sees him there, lying on the floor motionless. His lips are slightly parted but there's no air coming in or out of them, his eyes are open but they're glassy and dull, staring straight past him without really seeing anything. _And it's my fault, oh god it's my fault._ He feels his body quake and darkness getting heavier and heavier, threatening to collapse everything around him and take him down with it.

The sound of a door banging open against a wall goes unnoticed in his panicked state and so are the urgent calls of his name, the only thing he sees being the shadow of death behind Midoriya's eyes and the only thing he hears, the way his voice cracks with his shrill cries. It's only when calloused hands brush the exposed skin of his neck that some sense of reality crawls back into him, jostling him violently out of the twisted visions inside his head.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? It's okay, I'm here, Todoroki-kun, breathe." A sweet voice brings him further back still, anchoring him with a little semblance of sanity.

Shouto's eyes focus from the plane of terror in which they were stuck, looking at broken necks and lifeless emeralds that had lost all of their shine and he sees freckles dusted over slightly tan cheeks. He follows them like a path to safety and tethers to the knot between thin eyebrows and the lively concern that glimmers beneath them. His fingers slacken their hold on his hair, which he hadn't even noticed he'd started pulling in an attempt to stop the pain from spreading from his chest, and that's when Midoriya takes the opportunity to hold his trembling hands.

All sounds cease from Shouto, but for the quivering gasps that still rip through him, crying silently the tears that flow overwhelmingly with no way for him to stop them. His heart is beating relentlessly, his mind trying to conciliate what's in front of him and what's in the dark corners of his clouded thoughts. But the thumbs rubbing gentle and soft circles over the back of his hand pull the picture of death further and further down into the notion that maybe it wasn't real. Maybe what's real is what's in front of him right now. Maybe it's okay to breathe.

"Breathe with me, slowly, like this." Midoriya takes a deep breath through his nose and blows it gently from his mouth, sending it caressing over Shouto's wet cheeks from their proximity and making his eyelids flutter slightly. "Come on, do it with me, in and out, just like that."

Shouto barely realises that he's mimicking him until one of his inhales is broken by a sudden sob, one of many that were still lurking just underneath his calming demeanour, remnants from the panic that was clawing at his insides and threatening to tear right through him. Just as Midoriya thinks he's making progress, Shouto's brain kickstarts from its stunted state and his horror is dialled back up to max and he feels like he's going to be sick. Because even though he's started to rationalise that what had just happened was nothing but a nightmare, a _horrible_ , _horrible nightmare_ , it's closer to a highly likely possibility than he would ever like to admit.

"G-get away. I have t-to leave." Shouto speaks through broken breaths, weakly pushing Midoriya's hands away from his own and lifting himself off of the bed. Midoriya's bed, he realises with a start when he finally gains awareness of his surroundings, the disorienting panic lifting only to be replaced with the crystal-clear threat of danger. He knew it was a stupid idea to run away, he knew he was just delaying the inevitable, and he was also putting Midoriya in danger. What's the use in escaping the lion's den if you're just going to lead the lion straight to the thing it wants to devour the most. _Weakness_ he'd call it.

"W-what?" Midoriya follows after him, startled, especially when Shouto's left leg gives in as soon as it hits the floor and he comes crashing to the ground with a small groan and a string of coughs. Immediately, Midoriya is by his side, helping him sit up as he hides his face in his hands. "What are you talking about? You just got here." Shouto feels a hand resting over the bandages that wrap around his arm, rubbing gently up and down, soothingly. "What's wrong, Todoroki-kun?"

Letting out a shaky breath, Shouto lets his arms fall down to his lap limply, red-rimmed eyes staring into a distant place somewhere beyond the walls of Midoriya's room. "He's going to find me. And if I stay here, he'll hurt you… I have to go somewhere only I'll be punished. I can't get you involved…"

Midoriya doesn't answer him, he simply scoots closer and slowly slides his hands down over Shouto's own, looking at him while he avoids his gaze entirely. "You don't have to go anywhere. You're safe here with me. I won't let anyone hurt you _or_ me. I'm right here for you."

Shouto's head falls and his shoulders slump as he shakes it meekly. Midoriya feels hot tears dripping onto his hands, rolling down the sides when he shifts them to pull them closer. "You can't. He's… He'll hurt you to make it all worse. He'll hurt you to hurt me. He killed you…" The last part comes out as nothing more than a strangled whisper, almost as if the very effort of saying it out loud would somehow make it real. His fingers involuntarily twitch around Midoriya's just to feel that pressure that tells him it's not, that he's okay and not lying dead right by his face _because of him_.

"Is that what you were screaming about?" Midoriya lets go for just a moment to pull his face up and force his eyes to look into his. "I'm right here, see?" His thumb strokes just below his jaw comfortingly, caressing the spot where the bruise is still darkening, still settling under his skin and leaving its mark. "Nothing like that's going to happen. I'm right here."

Closing his eyes, Shouto focuses on the tender touch of Midoriya's fingers, how they seem to send an irradiating calm right from where they sit all the way down to his frantic heart. He leans into Midoriya's palm, twitching from the slight sting of the pressure to his injured jaw but quickly adjusting so that he's now rubbing his cheek instead, where the cuts are less prominent. Midoriya brushes away some of the stray tears that still fall from the corners of his eyes and Shouto inhales sharply. He thinks that maybe this is inappropriate, that he shouldn't be so desperate to feel the rough skin of Midoriya's hand on him, but he can't bring himself to care. Not when it's so grounding, when it brings him back down from the brink of despair and makes him feel a little less hurt, a little less afraid.

His lids flutter back open and blue greys stare into deep green, looking at him with a calm and caring expression, a kindness that he clings to as if his life depends on it. It feels so familiar yet so foreign, fills him with a gentle warmth that makes him feel safe and cared for. It reminds him vaguely of his mother but that doesn't sit quite right with Shouto. It's similar, in a way, but also not. It's the same sort of feeling but an entirely different emotion, if that makes any sense. Shouto doesn't think it does and he can't quite explain it, but it doesn't seem that important at this moment.

"I'm sorry." Midoriya's expression twists and he's quick to continue before the other can interject. "For worrying you, I didn't mean to scream…"

A small smile tugs at the corners of Midoriya's lips, a reassuring and understanding one, and yet it looked sad, like there were painful memories surfacing right behind those bright eyes. "It's okay… It happens."

Shouto swallows around the uncomfortable lump that forms in his throat at the realisation of what that smile really means. "To you?"

The way Midoriya looks away is answer enough but the dejected little shrug as he takes his hands away, followed by a low and muted 'sometimes' is what brings the searing pain back to his chest. The question of 'why' hangs precariously on his tongue but he keeps it to himself, it's not his place. Instead, he carefully pulls himself to Midoriya's side, his limbs complaining with the effort and driving a grunt out of him. Shouto leans his injured leg against Midoriya's thigh and feels a head of fluffy green locks resting on his shoulder. Some stray curls tickle his neck and Shouto rests his own head on top of his shorter friend's, burying his face in his hair and bringing his right hand over to Midoriya's neck. They stay like that for a long time, in a neutral silence they seem to have wordlessly agreed upon, focusing on each other's presence rather than the unpleasant feelings that stir deep inside them.

"I was making tea… It's probably cold by now…" Midoriya finally speaks, voice slightly croaky as if he'd been swallowing down sobs even though Shouto had felt the warm wetness on his naked shoulder.

"Sorry…"

"Not your fault. You need to stop that."

"Sor- uh, I mean…" Shouto stops himself halfway, realising the absurdity of what he was about to say in light of Midoriya's reprehension. But he feels his friend shaking against him, a low chuckle tumbling out of him that sounds lovely to his ears against the suffocating weight of their previous tearful silence.

"That happens sometimes too." Midoriya lifts his head to look at him with a small smirk, his cheeks tinted with a light flush from keeping in more of his tiny laughs. "It's okay, you'll get the hang of it, eventually."

Shouto hums in response, his own lips quirking for a moment before he feels Midoriya peel himself off of his side and climb to his feet. He can't ignore the heavy feeling of loss and the cold that settles on his left side as soon as the other's weight lifts from his shoulder. It's strange and it leaves a pit in his stomach that makes him feel even colder the more he acknowledges it. So much so that it makes him shiver.

"You're cold?" Midoriya's question is tainted with a hint of disbelief which only translates to his face when Shouto nods. "I'll be honest, I didn't think that was even possible unless…" He trails off, his arm hovering over Shouto's fallen hoodie on the bed when all the blood seems to drain from his face and he turns to him with a horrified expression. "Are you sick? Are any of the wounds infecting? Oh god, I did a terrible job, didn't I? Are the burns getting worse?" The stressed teen fusses over him before he even has a chance to open his mouth, looking over all the bandages for pus stains or even blood but finds them clean save for the bits of cream that had soaked into them.

"I'm fine, Midoriya. You did a great job dressing these." He lifts an arm towards his worried friend, grabbing his wrist. "I just missed your warmth next to me all of a sudden…" The words are out of his mouth before he can process them but he also can't seem to feel embarrassed by them when they're just the simple truth. Midoriya was warm and gentle and caring. After all, wasn't that what he'd come seeking from him? His kindness, his empathy, his unwavering support?

"O-oh… I see…" That light red returns to Midoriya's face, painting over the dotted freckles that are speckled all over his cheeks and somehow accentuating them even more, and Shouto wonders if he's the reason for it.

Without a word, Midoriya turns back to get the hoodie and hands it over. Shouto takes it, slipping his arms inside and zipping it up to his neck, watching the other fidget where he stands from down below. Before Shouto has the chance to pull himself up to his feet to get up to Midoriya's level, he kneels down in between his legs and holds his arms open.

"M-may I?" He requests timidly, the blush on his face deepening as he pulls his bottom lip in between his teeth.

Almost imperceptibly, Shouto nods his permission, though he isn't exactly sure what he's expecting to come out of it. Midoriya flashes him a wobbly smile before shifting closer and leaning in, wrapping his arms around his head and pulling it to him. His crooked fingers weave into his hair, sending shivers running down Shouto's spine as he nuzzles his face into Midoriya's chest. Uncertainty rings loud in his head when he attempts to bring his own arms up to hover over Midoriya's waist, unsure of whether he should or not. But he's feeling Midoriya's heart beating wildly against his ribcage, almost as if trying to reach further out, towards him, and he gives in. He winds his arms around Midoriya and brings him closer, revelling in the sense of closeness it awakens within him, the overwhelming calm that just soothes all of his pain in one simple gesture.

He hunches over slightly when Midoriya sits on his own ankles, lowering them the tiniest bit, but Shouto doesn't care, he just moves so that his face is now resting on the crook of the other's neck and grips his shirt in his fists tightly. He's struck with the impression that he's absolutely starved for this kind of touch. For Midoriya's touch to be more specific. Which seems just a bit silly considering they've never really shared something like this before, so how could he be missing something he'd never really had before? Yet it seems like it's something he's been waiting for all of his life, like something he craved without even knowing it, and now that he knows how it feels he doesn't think he'll be able to live without it ever again. It's addicting, exhilarating, devastating in the most wonderful kind of way. It sends his heart into a crazed frenzy, floods his body with something he can only figure is what true bliss feels like.

Shouto breathes him in as if he's some sort of drug that ignites all of his senses at once and numbs the pain that's permanently etched into his soul, chips away at the many walls he's built around his heart and leaves him open and vulnerable for the world to see. But it's liberating in a sense, the feeling of entrapment he's lived with for as long as he can remember slowly fading into nothing more than a hum in the back of his mind. He feels free encased in these strong arms that hold him with such care one would think he'd break were it any other way. At this moment, Shouto's not even sure he wouldn't. Tears prickle at his eyes and he can't even think straight enough to fathom the idea of trying to stop them from flowing, instead letting them stain Midoriya's skin as he buries his nose further into his neck.

An unsteady breath trickles its way out of his parting lips and he feels Midoriya tremble slightly at the sensation, unintentionally tugging at Shouto's hair just enough to bring him back down from the clouds among which he'd just been floating. His eyes flutter open, lashes brushing against the skin of Midoriya's neck to another similar reaction and he doesn't know what exactly comes over him because before he knows it, his lips are leaving a small peck on that skin. He tenses when he catches himself doing it but Midoriya doesn't even flinch, just grazes his fingers over Shouto's scalp comfortingly, making him sigh contentedly as his body relaxes into the embrace once again.

Midoriya rests his cheek on the top of his head, continuing to slowly pet his hair as he breathes out a few hushed words that Shouto doesn't quite catch. It doesn't matter though, because whatever it was that he said, the way he holds him closer, squeezes him that tiny bit tighter, is enough for him to understand _"I'm right here."_ And that is all he needs to know, that Midoriya is there and that he cares, and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. That warmth he felt before envelops him completely, surrounds him pleasantly and fills his soul with a mild euphoria that he couldn't explain even if he tried.

Unlike the raging wild fires that burn him back with Endeavor, this is like the sun shining brightly on him on a lazy summer afternoon. It's like the warmth that radiates from a lit fireplace on a cold winter's night and soothes weary bones and tired aching muscles after a long day of arduous work. It's a calm and gentle flame, like a tiny candle flickering in the dark, a small beacon to illuminate a path to a lost soul, guiding it towards safety, towards _home_. Midoriya gives him all of that and more and he couldn't be more grateful, especially now, when he felt so lost and alone, so hurt and afraid. It doesn't leave him reeling from how cold he feels afterwards, his own fire snuffed out by the others that suffocate him. Instead it heals all of the scars left from years of being burned and slowly freezing his heart to protect it, melts away that ice and replaces it with that hungry spark he'd had as a child.

And Shouto's uncertain if he's just projecting but it somehow feels like Midoriya is leaning into him just as much. The way his fingers weave through his hair almost a little too gently, pulling him closer with each breath he takes as if he's handling something precious makes his heart stutter inside his chest. And maybe he's imagining it but he thinks there's the brush of lips over the top of his head and his heart is stuck in his throat now. He holds on tighter and nuzzles his face further. The steady heartbeat beneath the warm skin of Midoriya's neck is like a gentle lullaby, despite the way it feels like it's running wild with a calculated kind of rhythm that doesn't quite make sense and leaves him dazed.

Shouto breathes but his breaths catch with each time they fill his lungs with Midoriya's warm presence and he's once again tearing up but he's not quite sure why anymore. Maybe it's because he doesn't want to let go, or maybe it's because it hurts to know that he'll have to. Or perhaps he's just so overwhelmed by it all that he's forgotten how to hold back. Whatever the reason, his chest feels tight and his throat tighter still. But it's okay, because Midoriya's got him and he's got Midoriya and they feel safe, right here, right now, in their own quiet haven away from everything and everyone else.

He doesn't know how long they stay like that, tangled in each other's arms, just appreciating each other's presence, taking in every little touch, every little breath, simply holding on as if their very lives depended on it. As if nothing else mattered but them, the rest of the world disappearing with all of its problems, struggles and hardships. Everything just melted away and left nothing but for the two of them and the way they made each other feel, even time itself seeming to lose all meaning in that moment.

Shouto thinks he could stay here forever, in this little bubble that formed around them and blocked everything else, a small space in which he could feel safe and cut off from the life he'd been given. But Midoriya pulls away and he's left staring into emeralds so bright and pure he would think all the riches in the world wouldn't even begin to amount to their worth. Shouto is struck by the notion that he would give his very breath to have them be his, and if that wasn't enough, whatever was left of his soul he would offer as well. Yet he does not know what to say so he simply stares, his lips parted slightly but for a moment as he gasps in turn with the flutters in his chest and Midoriya's breath trembles in much the same way Shouto's soul does.

Those green eyes dip lower and blue grey follow obediently, locking with thin lips and the teeth that bind them, flurrying past the wisps of red that colour the background for the constellations on his cheeks. He feels himself being drawn towards their gravitational pull and doesn't know whether or not he should try and resist it, because there's a warmth inside him that he wants to seek out but he's afraid he'll get burned again. That fear flashes in his eyes but fingertips dance across the edge of the proof of how much that fire hurts so gently that they usher his lids shut and he inhales sharply.

The feather-light caress of a thumb flits over his bottom lip and then warm breath is tiptoeing over his cheeks, quiet, slow, careful and Shouto feels himself falling without a safety net to catch him underneath. But it's okay because steady hands are holding him up, splayed across the skin of his neck and feeling his fleeting heart try to beat its way out of his chest. Everything comes crashing around him when the air in his lungs is stolen, but it's okay because he'd willingly give it as many times as he could, even if it killed him. He feels greedy as he steals it right back ignoring the pain that shoots straight from his jaw because it only seems to ignite him further.

He burns, but he burns so sweetly that all his fears seem equally justified and nonsensical. Shouto battles with himself, part of him wanting to open his eyes while another tells him to stay in the darkness where he won't be blinded. But he craves the light that shines behind his eyelids and so he peeks and immediately regrets it because he falls faster and harder, and he's so scared of what will happen when he finally lands. The sight before him makes his head spin and he feels untethered, hands reaching to hold on to something that will keep him from simultaneously floating and crashing into the depths of the abyss. Midoriya's hips fit like puzzle-pieces in his hands as he clings to them desperately, leaning further into those lips that hungrily make him more and more breathless. The edges of his vision blur with each passing second until Midoriya finally pulls back and he resurfaces from drowning in him with a gasp.

The world is still spinning and Shouto is still falling as he looks at the bright flush of the other's cheeks, half-lidded eyes watching him intently, anxiously, hands shaking over the top of his skin with unanswered questions and crushing insecurities. And all Shouto can do is collapse back into those arms, quivering with an uncertainty he's never felt so certain of but a weightlessness that makes it completely irrelevant.

A trilling little laugh fills his ears and the warmth spreads all the way through his body as he keeps falling endlessly, eternally. With each of Midoriya's heartbeats he falls harder, with each of his breaths he falls faster and he never wants to stop. And for now, that's okay, because Midoriya's falling right here with him.

 **NOTE:** **And here it is! The sort of promised sequel to Elsewhere! I hope you enjoyed it, I just started writing and this is where it took me... Feel free to leave any feedback you may have and thank you so much for taking the time to read!**


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